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VAW-123 Sends their Last E-2C aircraft to the Boneyard
Airborne Command & Control Squadron (VAW) 123 recently transferred two of their four E-2C Hawkeye aircraft to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the largest aircraft boneyard in the world in Tucson.
As told by Chief Petty Officer Brian Brooks, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, in the article VAW-123 Sends their Last E-2C Hawkeye to the Boneyard, this event was part of the squadron’s transition to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye to be completed in mid-2025.
VAW-123’s other two E-2C were transferred to VAW-120 Fleet Replacement Squadron to be used for training the next generation of Hawkeye pilots.
Lt. Terrance Lawrence, assigned to VAW-123, was one of the pilots chosen to deliver an E-2C to the boneyard. The squadron first received the E-2C in November 1973. Since then, this platform has been used for sea and land-based military operations, search and rescue missions, drug interdiction, humanitarian efforts and disaster relief.
Lawrence, a naval aviator since 2021, had not experienced delivering an aircraft to its final resting place.
“It was something that I knew not a lot of other aviators get to do; it is pretty rare that you get to participate in this type of flight,” Lawrence said. “This was a special and unique opportunity that does not come up often. I volunteered immediately.”
Lt. Avesta Shwany, also of VAW-123, flew the second E-2C and reflected on the experience for her and her crew upon departing Norfolk for the boneyard.
“Getting to be a part of the last crew was incredibly bittersweet,” Shwany said. “This aircraft carries a lot of memories to so many aircrew members, especially from this most recent deployment to the Red Sea.”
The last person to fly the E-2C for VAW-123
Shwany added that the aircraft had seen combat and played a vital role in many missions.
“Taking this aircraft to the boneyard signified the end of an era, and the beginning of our delta transition. I think everyone was surprised with how emotional we were dropping her off and saying our goodbyes,” Shwany said.
Lawrence said he was proud to be the last person to fly the E-2C for his squadron. The aircrew that accompanied both aircraft to Tucson took the opportunity to mark their place in history by ceremoniously signing the inside of the aircraft as a final farewell.
“This aircraft meant a lot,” Lawrence said. “I was sentimental about it, especially after spending nine months flying it in the Red Sea.”
The 10 aircrew who participated in the nearly six-hour flight to the boneyard, took time to tap the side of the aircraft, as they said their farewell before transferring it to the staff at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
“This plane has all of these stories associated with it especially just after deployment,” Lawrence added. VAW-123 was deployed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and returned from a nine-month deployment in July 2024.
With VAW-123 marking its transition to the E-2D, west-coast based VAW-116 is the only fleet squadron in the Navy flying the E-2C until its scheduled sundown.
The Hawkeye
The E-2 Hawkeye is the Navy’s all-weather, carrier-based tactical battle management airborne early warning, command and control aircraft. The E-2 is a twin engine, five crewmember, high-wing turboprop aircraft with a 24-foot diameter radar rotodome attached to the upper fuselage.
For more than 50 years, the E-2C has provided the Navy’s command and control capabilities.
The E-2C became operational in 1973 and surpassed one million flight hours in August 2004. The aircraft has undergone several upgrades to its active and passive sensors, engines and propellers. The newest variant of the E-2C (Hawkeye 2000) with its new mission computer, improved radar displays and Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), combined with the shipboard Aegis weapon system, formed the cornerstone of sea based Theater Air Missile Defense (TAMD).
Variants of the E-2C Hawkeye are also flown by the Egyptian Air Force, Japanese Self Defense Air Force, Taiwan Air Force and the French Navy.
The E-2D
The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is the newest variant of the E-2 aircraft platform, replacing the E-2C Hawkeye.
It features a state-of-the-art radar with a two-generation leap in capability and upgraded aircraft systems that will improve supportability and increase readiness. Key E-2D objectives include improved battle space target detection and situational awareness, especially in the littorals; support of Theater Air Missile Defense (TAMD) operations; and improved operational availability.
The E-2D reached IOC in October 2014, and the Navy continues to invest in future capabilities to support command and control requirements for the strike group and the entire force.
The first operational fleet squadron completed aerial refueling (AR) training in FY2020. Aerial refueling increases the range and persistence of the E-2D AHE. With AR capabilities, the E-2D can remain aloft and on station for an extended period of time, allowing for extended range from the carrier, dual E-2D coverage, increased persistence and operational flexibility. AR-equipped aircraft also feature new high endurance seats, fuel system enhancements, and new exterior lighting.
Photo credit: Chief Petty Officer Brian Brooks / U.S. Navy
